Air Power, Insurgency and the “War on Terror” - Prof. Joel Hayward's ...

Chapter 14
Combined European F-16 Detachment operating in Central Asia
In <strong>the</strong> first phase, <strong>the</strong> Royal Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>Air</strong> Force supported Operation Enduring
Freedom by an air-to-air refuelling capacity. For this purpose, it dispatched a KDC-10
tanker aircraft to Qatar’s Al Udeid airfield, from where it carried out missions in close cooperation
with US tanker aircraft for <strong>the</strong> duration of nearly three moths in <strong>the</strong> first half of
2002 .582 Only later in <strong>the</strong> year did <strong>the</strong> Dutch contribute fighter bombers to <strong>the</strong> equation.
On 1 October 2002, <strong>the</strong> French Mirage 2000 D based in Manas were replaced by a European
F-16 detachment. 583 This combined detachment consisted of eighteen F-eighteen from
Denmark, <strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> Norway supported by a Dutch KDC-10 tanker aircraft. 584
Within one year of operations, <strong>the</strong> Dutch fighter bomber alone logged 804 sorties
<strong>and</strong> 4,640 flying hours, regularly providing close air support to ground troops. The
combined European F-16 detachment finally led to <strong>the</strong> establishment of a European F-16
expeditionary air wing, known under <strong>the</strong> acronym EPAF EAW (European Participating <strong>Air</strong>
Forces’ Expeditionary <strong>Air</strong> Wing). Its development will be scrutinised below.
In <strong>the</strong> second half of 2005, a combined European F-16 detachment was directly deployed
to Kabul airport in Afghanistan. Both Belgium <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s provided four aircraft
each, with <strong>the</strong> Belgian contingent being replaced by Norwegian F-16s in February 2006.
Alongside its alliance partners, <strong>the</strong> F-16 detachment provides a strong security presence
<strong>and</strong> show of force in <strong>the</strong> country. The detachment of eight aircraft regularly carries out
reconnaissance <strong>and</strong> close air support missions <strong>and</strong> it is on note 24 hours a day to provide
air support for troops on <strong>the</strong> ground. 586 For instance, when in February 2006, a mob of
200 to 300 people broke into an ISAF camp, Dutch F-16 made several passes at low-level
altitude in order to intimidate <strong>the</strong> crowd <strong>and</strong> fired warning shots above <strong>the</strong> crowd. 587
Royal Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>Air</strong> Force Apache <strong>and</strong> Patriot Deployments
With regard to Operation Iraqi Freedom in early 2003, <strong>the</strong> Royal Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>Air</strong> Force did
not directly participate in <strong>the</strong> high-intensity phase of this operation, but did so indirectly
by deploying Patriot guided missile units to Turkey in early 2003.
In February, <strong>the</strong> Dutch government received an official Turkish request for three Patriot
units <strong>and</strong> additional Stinger teams to be stationed in Eastern Turkey. 588 Operation Display
Deterrence aimed at protecting NATO air bases. Within one month from <strong>the</strong> receipt of
<strong>the</strong> Turkish request, <strong>the</strong>se Patriot units were operational in Turkey <strong>and</strong> remained <strong>the</strong>re
throughout <strong>the</strong> high intensity phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 589
Ano<strong>the</strong>r Dutch main weapon system contributing to <strong>the</strong> “War on Terror” is <strong>the</strong> attack
helicopter. On 30 January 2004, <strong>the</strong> Dutch government agreed to a NATO request <strong>and</strong>
<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Power</strong>, <strong>Insurgency</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> “War on Terror” 243